Flexible Optical-Fiber Ribbon

ABSTRACT

An optical-fiber ribbon having excellent flexibility, strength, and robustness facilitates separation of an optical fiber from the optical-fiber ribbon without damaging the optical fiber&#39;s glass core, glass cladding, primary coating, secondary coating, and ink layer, if present.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/856,268 (filed Apr. 23, 2020, and published Dec. 10, 2020, as U.S.Patent Application Publication No. US2020/0386961 A1), which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/247,008(filed Jan. 14, 2019, and published Aug. 15, 2019, as U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. US2019/0250347 A1), now U.S. Pat. No.10,782,495, which itself claims priority via 35 U.S.C. § 365(a) toInternational Application No. PCT/EP2018/050899 (filed Jan. 15, 2018,and published Jul. 18, 2019, as International Publication No. WO2019/137628 A1). Each of the foregoing commonly assigned patentapplications, patent application publications, and patents is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to optical-fiber ribbons and methods forproducing optical-fiber ribbons.

BACKGROUND

The amount of data transmitted over optical fiber cables is continuouslyincreasing worldwide. This is especially so in data centers because ofthe expansion of cloud computing, which requires that data be receivedand transmitted in limited physical space. As such, there is anincreasing demand for high-fiber-count and high-fiber-density opticalcables. Moreover, there is constant desire to reduce construction costsof access cable networks, making the reduction of optical-cable diameterand weight central to the use of existing facilities (e.g., undergroundducts) to reduce installation costs. Another practical requirement isthe ability to mass-fusion splice optical fibers to shorten the timerequired for connecting cables. This means that there areseveral—possibly conflicting—demands, such as decreasing optical-cablediameters, increasing optical-fiber density, and improving optical-cableworkability. This is a serious and difficult challenge for optical-cablemanufacturers.

To achieve easy workability, optical-fiber ribbons can preferentially bemass-fusion spliced to simultaneously make multiple optical-fiberconnections. Conventional optical-fiber ribbons have the disadvantage ofrigidity, however, because of the application of a resin layer aroundthe optical-fiber assembly to keep the optical fibers in a parallelplane. This rigidity limits the possibility of increasing fiber densityin optical-fiber cables.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, it is an exemplary object of the present invention toprovide an optical-fiber ribbon having excellent flexibility, strength,and robustness to facilitate rolling or folding of the constituentoptical fibers in the ribbon-width direction. It is another exemplaryobject of the present invention to provide an optical-fiber ribbon thatcan be mass-fusion spliced to make multiple optical-fiber connections.It is yet another exemplary object of the present invention to providean optical-fiber ribbon from which individual optical fibers (e.g., atmost three optical fibers encapsulated with a matrix material) can beseparated without damaging adjacent optical fibers.

One or more of these objects may be achieved in a first inventive aspectby exemplary methods of making optical-fiber ribbons.

One exemplary method of making an optical-fiber ribbon includes thesesteps:

(i) arranging a plurality of optical fibers into a longitudinaloptical-fiber assembly (e.g., a planar optical-fiber assembly), whereinthe plurality of optical fibers are substantially parallel andrespectively adjacent to each other, and wherein each optical fiberincludes, from its center to its periphery, a glass core, a glasscladding, a primary coating, a secondary coating, and an outer layerformed of a first curable resin that is less than completely cured(e.g., partly cured or substantially fully cured);

(ii) applying a second curable resin to a surface of the optical-fiberassembly, wherein the second curable resin forms a plurality ofsuccessive elongated rectilinear beads configured to form bonds (e.g.,elongated bonds) between adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiberassembly; and

(iii) passing the optical-fiber assembly with the surficial, elongatedrectilinear beads through a curing station to cure the second curableresin and to further cure the first curable resin.

Another exemplary method of making an optical-fiber ribbon includesthese steps:

(i) arranging a plurality of optical fibers into a longitudinaloptical-fiber assembly (e.g., a planar optical-fiber assembly), whereinthe plurality of optical fibers are substantially parallel andrespectively adjacent to each other, and wherein each optical fiberincludes, from its center to its periphery, a glass core, a glasscladding, a primary coating, and an outer layer formed of a firstcurable resin that is either completely cured or less than completelycured (e.g., partly cured or substantially fully cured);

(ii) applying a second curable resin to a surface of the optical-fiberassembly, wherein the second curable resin forms a plurality ofsuccessive elongated rectilinear beads configured to form bonds (e.g.,elongated bonds) between adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiberassembly; and

(iii) passing the optical-fiber assembly with the surficial, elongatedrectilinear beads through a curing station to cure the second curableresin and, optionally, to further cure the first curable resin (e.g., ifthe first curable resin is less than completely cured).

One or more of these objects may be achieved in a second inventiveaspect by an exemplary optical-fiber ribbon that includes (i) aplurality of respectively adjacent optical fibers extending in alongitudinal direction and arranged in parallel to form an optical-fiberassembly (e.g., a planar optical-fiber assembly) and (ii) a plurality ofsuccessive elongated rectilinear beads of a second cured resin (i.e., acured second curable resin) arranged along the length of theoptical-fiber assembly (i.e., arranged lengthwise along theoptical-fiber assembly). Typically, each bead is configured to form anelongated bond between two adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiberassembly, and the cured second curable resin of each elongated bond iscoupled (e.g., chemically coupled) to a respective first cured resin(i.e., the cured first curable resin) of two adjacent optical fibers.

As noted with respect to a related exemplary method, each optical fibermay include, from its center to its periphery, a glass core, a glasscladding, a primary coating, a secondary coating, and an outer layerformed of a cured first curable resin. In this exemplary optical-fiberembodiment, the outer layer (e.g., an outer release layer, such as asacrificial, outer release layer) is the outermost optical-fiber coatinglayer, which contiguously surrounds either the secondary coating or, ifpresent, an ink layer. Here, the partly cured or substantially fullycured first curable resin is cured during the manufacture of theoptical-fiber ribbon, either before or concurrently with the curing ofthe second curable resin—the second curable resin being configured tobond or otherwise join adjacent optical fibers. As such, correspondingembodiments of the optical-fiber ribbon herein disclosed are applicableto the related exemplary method for making an optical-fiber ribbon, andvice versa.

Similarly, as noted with respect to an alternative, related exemplarymethod, each optical fiber may include, from its center to itsperiphery, a glass core, a glass cladding, a primary coating, and anouter layer formed of a cured first curable resin. In this optical-fiberembodiment, the cured first curable resin can be a secondary coating(e.g., a colored secondary coating contiguously surrounding the primarycoating) or an ink layer (e.g., a colored ink layer contiguouslysurrounding the secondary coating). Here, too, a partly cured orsubstantially fully cured first curable resin may be cured during themanufacture of the optical-fiber ribbon, either before or concurrentlywith the curing of the second curable resin—the second curable resinbeing configured to bond or otherwise join adjacent optical fibers. Assuch, corresponding embodiments of the optical-fiber ribbon hereindisclosed are applicable to the related exemplary method for making anoptical-fiber ribbon, and vice versa.

An exemplary optical-fiber ribbon according to the present inventionthus has multiple optical fibers arranged in parallel and connected withother optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly via cured resinbeads. In some embodiments, a connection (e.g., a chemical coupling) iscreated between the first curable resin, which is the outermost coatinglayer of the optical fibers, and the second curable resin, which istypically applied to the optical-fiber assembly in elongated rectilinearbeads. For example, where the first curable resin is partly cured (e.g.,significantly less than fully cured), the concurrent curing of the firstcurable resin and the second curable resin provides increased bondingstrength between the second curable resin and the optical fibers' firstcurable resin. Conversely, where the first curable resin issubstantially fully cured, the subsequent curing of the second curableresin provides decreased bonding strength between the second curableresin and the optical fibers' first curable resin. The relative strengthof the coupling between the first curable resin and the second curableresin affects the robustness of the optical-fiber ribbon and the ease bywhich optical fibers can be separated from the optical-fiber ribbon.

In this regard, when an optical fiber is to be peeled or otherwiseremoved from the optical-fiber ribbon, no damage ought to occur to theprincipal structure of the optical fibers. Accordingly, it is preferredthat the separation (e.g., failure or rupture) occur (i) within theelongated beads formed by the cured, second curable resin, (ii) at theinterface between the cured, second curable resin and the cured, firstcurable resin, (iii) within the optical fiber's outer layer formed bythe cured, first curable resin, or (iv) at the interface between thecured, first curable resin and the optical fiber's next contiguouslayer, typically the secondary coating or, if present, an optional inklayer positioned upon the secondary coating. To maintain the integrityof the optical fiber, it would be undesirable if the point of failure orrupture during optical-fiber peel-off were to occur, for example, withinthe optional ink layer, the secondary coating, or at the secondarycoating's interface with the primary coating. This kind of peel-offfailure could be considered unacceptable damage to the optical fiber.

The foregoing illustrative summary, other objectives and/or advantagesof the present disclosure, and the manner in which the same areaccomplished are further explained within the following detaileddescription and its accompanying drawings.

Definitions

The following definitions are used in the present description and claimsto define the stated subject matter. Other terms not cited (below) areintended to have the generally accepted meaning in the field:

“Optical-fiber assembly” as used in the present description means: aloose arrangement of the plurality of parallel adjacent optical fiberswith no bonding between the fibers; the assembly has a width (W) andinterstices or grooves between adjacent optical fibers.

“Assembly width (W)” or “width (W)” as used in the present descriptionmeans: the assembly is formed of a number (N) of optical fibers, eachhaving a diameter (D) and a length (L), whereby the assembly has anominal width (i.e., W=D×N).

“Bond” as used in the present description means: a bead of a secondcured resin (i.e., a cured second curable resin) that bonds two adjacentoptical fibers over a bonding length (l). It should be noted that if two(or more) subsequent beads are applied one after another within the samegroove connecting the same two adjacent optical fibers, these two (ormore) beads are considered to form together a bond with a bonding length(l) equal to the sum of the length of such subsequent beads.

“Bonding material” as used in the present description means: thematerial of which a bond is formed. This is the second cured resin—orwhen not yet cured—the second curable resin.

“Outer layer material” as used in the present description means: thematerial of which the outer layer is formed. This is the first curableresin that, depending on the stage of the process, is uncured, partlycured, or fully cured.

“Chemically coupled” as used in the present description means: thepresence of chemical covalent bonds formed by the simultaneous curing ofthe second curable resin and the partly cured first curable resin. Theseresins each comprise a plurality of chemically active groups that formcrosslinks (e.g., chemical bonds) during curing; because of thesimultaneous curing at the interface of the beads (i.e., comprising thesecond curable resin) and the outer layer (i.e., comprising the firstcurable resin), chemical covalent bonds form between the chemicallyactive groups present in the second curable resin (e.g., in the beads)and the partly cured first curable resin (e.g., in the outer layer).

“Stepwise pattern” as used in the present description means: a patternconstituted by a succession of beads over the plurality of opticalfibers, wherein the beads (of the succession of beads) are each timespaced apart in the width direction at a distance of one optical fiber.As such, the step of the stepwise pattern is one optical fiber. Wherethe optical-fiber assembly is formed by a number (N) of optical fibers,an individual stepwise pattern is constituted by a succession of (N−1)beads.

“Zig-zag like arrangement” as used in the present description means: anarrangement following the trace of a triangle wave. The zig-zag likearrangement in the present application is obtained by fitting a linethrough mid-points of the subsequent beads of subsequent stepwisepatterns.

“Saw-tooth like arrangement” as used in the present description means:an arrangement following the trace of a saw-tooth wave. The saw-toothlike arrangement in the present application is obtained by fitting aline through mid-points of the subsequent beads of subsequent stepwisepatterns.

“Pitch (P)” as used in the present description means: a length equal tothe recurrence of the stepwise pattern in the same width direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which embodiments of the present invention areshown and in which like reference numbers indicate the same or similarelements. The drawings are provided as examples, may be schematic, andmay not be drawn to scale. The present inventive aspects may be embodiedin many different forms and should not be construed as limited to theexamples depicted in the drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts in a perspective view a representative optical-fiberassembly.

FIG. 2a depicts in a perspective view an exemplary embodiment of aninventive optical-fiber ribbon having an intermittent, discontinuouszig-zag like arrangement. FIG. 2b depicts in a perspective view anexemplary embodiment of an inventive optical-fiber ribbon having anintermittent, discontinuous zig-zag like arrangement with a differentbonding length than the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 a.

FIG. 3 depicts in a perspective view an exemplary embodiment of aninventive optical-fiber ribbon having a continuous zig-zag likearrangement.

FIG. 4a depicts in a perspective view an exemplary embodiment of aninventive optical-fiber ribbon having an intermittent, discontinuoussaw-tooth like arrangement. FIG. 4b depicts the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 4a with a fitted saw-tooth line and pitch.

FIG. 5 depicts in a perspective view an exemplary embodiment of aninventive optical-fiber ribbon having a partly continuous saw-tooth likearrangement.

FIG. 6 depicts in a perspective view an exemplary embodiment of aninventive optical-fiber ribbon having a continuous saw-tooth likearrangement.

FIG. 7 depicts in a schematic representation an exemplary process forpreparing an optical-fiber ribbon having six optical fibers.

FIG. 8 depicts in a perspective, schematic representation anoptical-fiber ribbon having a zig-zag like arrangement.

FIG. 9 depicts in a perspective, schematic representation anoptical-fiber ribbon having a saw-tooth like arrangement.

FIG. 10 is a plan-view photograph of an optical-fiber ribbon accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional photograph of an optical cable unit beingprepared using 24 optical-fiber ribbons, each having 12 optical fibers.

FIG. 12a and FIG. 12b are photographs of undamaged optical fibers afterseparation from an optical-fiber ribbon according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13a and FIG. 13b are photographs of damaged optical fibers afterseparation from a comparative optical-fiber ribbon.

FIG. 14 is a photograph of an optical-fiber ribbon being subjected tomechanical tensile testing, namely a T-peel test.

FIG. 15 is a photograph of undamaged optical fibers after separationfrom an optical-fiber ribbon according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 16 is a photograph of damaged optical fibers after separation froma comparative optical-fiber ribbon.

FIG. 17 is a photograph of an optical-fiber ribbon showing thecross-section of a surficial, elongated rectilinear bead betweenadjacent 250-micron optical fibers.

FIG. 18 is a photograph of an optical-fiber ribbon showing thecross-section of a surficial, elongated rectilinear bead betweenadjacent 200-micron optical fibers.

FIG. 19 depicts exemplary load-elongation curves in which nominal250-micron optical fibers are separated from an optical-fiber ribbonaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 depicts comparative load-elongation curves in which nominal250-micron optical fibers are separated from a comparative optical-fiberribbon.

FIG. 21 depicts comparative load-elongation curves in which nominal200-micron optical fibers are separated from a comparative optical-fiberribbon.

FIG. 22 depicts stress-strain curves for a test sample of an exemplarybonding material substantially fully cured to a curing degree of 95percent or more.

FIG. 23 depicts stress-strain curves for a test sample of an exemplarybonding material.

FIG. 24 depicts stress-strain curves for a test sample of a comparativebonding material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various aspects and features are herein described with reference to theaccompanying figures. Details are set forth to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however,to those having ordinary skill in the art that the disclosedoptical-fiber ribbons and methods for producing optical-fiber ribbonsmay be practiced or performed without some or all of these specificdetails. As another example, features disclosed as part of oneembodiment can be used in another embodiment to yield a furtherembodiment. Sometimes, well-known aspects have not been described indetail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Thisdetailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense,and it is intended that other embodiments are within the spirit andscope of the present disclosure.

In a first aspect, the invention embraces a method of producing anoptical-fiber ribbon, such as the optical-fiber ribbons 100-600 depictedin FIGS. 1-6. Several exemplary embodiments of the method are discussed(below) with reference to the figures, including the process schematicdepicted in FIG. 7.

In a first exemplary step, a plurality of fibers 2 are fed (e.g., into adie 12) to provide a longitudinal optical-fiber assembly 3 in which theplurality of optical fibers are substantially in parallel andrespectively adjacent to each other. The exemplary process is depictedin FIG. 7 (processing from right to left) and the optical-fiber assembly3 is shown in FIG. 1. In an exemplary embodiment, shown in FIG. 1, theoptical fibers are arranged parallel in a plane. Each optical fibertypically has a substantially circular cross section. In some exemplaryembodiments, the outer layer of the plurality of optical fibers includesa partly cured first curable resin. In other exemplary embodiments, theouter layer of the plurality of optical fibers includes a substantiallyfully cured first curable resin. In alternative exemplary embodiments,the outer layer of the plurality of optical fibers includes a completelycured first curable resin.

In a second exemplary step, a second curable resin is applied from adispenser 14 (or similar dispensing device) to a surface, such as theupper surface of the optical-fiber assembly 3. See FIG. 7. Theapplication of the second curable resin leads to the second curableresin forming a pattern of a plurality of intermittently arranged beads4 along the upper surface of the optical-fiber assembly 3.

In a third exemplary step, the optical-fiber assembly with beads appliedthereon is passed through a curing station 16 to cure the second curableresin and, if the first curable resin is less than completely cured(e.g., partly cured or substantially fully cured), to further cure thefirst curable resin. See FIG. 7.

In an exemplary embodiment, the optical fibers are first drawn andpartially coated (e.g., from the application of the primary coatingthrough the application of the secondary coating) and reeled. Next, theplurality of optical fibers are optionally coated with a first curableresin (e.g., an ink layer or release layer) and reeled again. Later, theplurality of optical fibers are consolidated into an optical-fiberribbon, such as by the process steps schematically depicted in FIG. 7(i.e., the optical fibers are fed from reels into the ribbon-makingprocess).

In another exemplary embodiment, the optical fibers are first drawn andcoated (e.g., from the application of the primary coating through theapplication of the first curable resin) and then reeled. The pluralityof optical fibers are later consolidated into an optical-fiber ribbon,such as by the process steps schematically depicted in FIG. 7 (i.e., theoptical fibers are fed from reels into the ribbon-making process).

In an alternative exemplary method embodiment, the optical fibers arefirst drawn and partially coated (e.g., from the application of theprimary coating through the application of the secondary coating) andthen reeled. Later, in a continuous process (e.g., an in-line process),the plurality of optical fibers are further coated with a first curableresin (e.g., an ink layer or a release layer) and consolidated into anoptical-fiber ribbon, such as by the process steps schematicallydepicted in FIG. 7.

By way of non-limiting illustration, where the first curable resin ispartly cured, the concurrent curing of the first curable resin and thesecond curable resin provides increased bonding strength between thesecond curable resin and the optical fibers' first curable resin.Conversely, where the first curable resin is substantially fully curedsuch that little further curing is possible, the subsequent curing ofthe second curable resin provides decreased bonding strength between thesecond curable resin and the optical fibers' first curable resin. Asnoted, the relative strength of the coupling between the first curableresin and the second curable resin affects the robustness of theoptical-fiber ribbon and the ease by which optical fibers can beseparated from the optical-fiber ribbon.

Curing the partly cured first curable resin (or the substantially fullycured first curable resin) that forms the optical fiber's outer layer tothe second curable resin that forms the bead seems to affectoptical-fiber-ribbon robustness and ease of optical-fiber separationfrom the optical-fiber ribbon. In an exemplary optical-fiber ribbonhaving optical fibers that include a sacrificial release layer formed ofthe first curable resin, the point of failure when removing an opticalfiber preferably occurs (i) at the interface between the bead (i.e.,formed by the second curable resin as cured) and the outer layer (i.e.,formed by the first curable resin as cured), (ii) within the sacrificialouter layer itself (i.e., formed by the first curable resin as cured),or (iii) at the interface between the outer layer (i.e., formed by thefirst curable resin as cured) and the secondary coating layer (or theoptional ink layer, if present). In such an exemplary embodiment of theoptical-fiber ribbon, the outer layer of the optical fiber (i.e., formedby the first curable resin as cured) can be considered a sacrificialrelease layer that facilitates the separation of an optical fiber fromthe optical-fiber ribbon without damaging the optical fiber's principalstructural parts, namely the glass core, the glass cladding, the primarycoating, the secondary coating, and the optional ink layer, if present.

By way of further example, in one exemplary optical-fiber embodiment,each optical fiber includes an outer ink layer, and so the sacrificial,outer release layer contiguously surrounds this outer ink layer. Inanother exemplary optical-fiber embodiment, each optical fiber includesa secondary coating with coloring (or identifying markings) such that anadditional ink layer is not present, and so the sacrificial, outerrelease layer contiguously surrounds the secondary coating. In eitherexemplary optical-fiber embodiment, the “sacrificial, outer releaselayer” is a distinct coating layer that surrounds the optical fiber'snext contiguous layer, which is typically the secondary coating or, ifpresent, an optional ink layer positioned upon the secondary coating.

In an alternative exemplary optical-fiber ribbon having optical fibersin which the first curable resin is either a secondary coating (e.g., acolored secondary coating contiguously surrounding the primary coating)or an ink layer (e.g., a colored ink layer contiguously surrounding thesecondary coating), the point of failure when removing an optical fiberpreferably occurs (i) within the bead (i.e., formed by the secondcurable resin as cured) or (ii) at the interface between the bead (i.e.,formed by the second curable resin as cured) and the outer layer (i.e.,formed by the first curable resin as cured). In such an exemplaryembodiment of the optical-fiber ribbon, which excludes a sacrificial,outer release layer, the outermost layer of the optical fiber (i.e.,formed by the first curable resin as cured) is a principal structuralpart of the optical fiber (e.g., the secondary coating or the optionalink layer) and so should remain undamaged after separation of an opticalfiber from the optical-fiber ribbon.

In an exemplary method, each bead is arranged to form a bond between twoadjacent optical fibers over a bonding length (l). Typically, a bondconnects two adjacent optical fibers and a successive bond connects twoadjacent optical fibers, at least one of which differs from the opticalfibers bonded by the preceding bond. Typically, each bond is separatedin longitudinal direction from a successive bond by a bonding distance(d). In an exemplary embodiment, the bonding length is larger than thebonding distance (l>d).

FIG. 8 depicts in a perspective, schematic representation anoptical-fiber ribbon having six optical fibers and a zig-zag stepwisearrangement of the second curable resin. FIG. 9 depicts in aperspective, schematic representation an optical-fiber ribbon having sixoptical fibers and a saw-tooth stepwise arrangement of the secondcurable resin.

In an exemplary embodiment, before feeding (or otherwise arranging) theplurality of optical fibers to provide a longitudinal optical-fiberassembly, a first curable resin of the outer layer of each of theplurality of optical fibers is partly cured to a curing degree ofbetween 85 percent and 95 percent, such as between 88 percent and 92percent (e.g., about 90 percent cured) or between 91 percent and 94percent (e.g., about 92 or 93 percent cured), to provide optical fibershaving an outer layer of a partly cured first curable resin. In anexemplary embodiment, a degree of curing between 85 percent and 95percent means a degree of surface curing (i.e., the curing of theoutermost portion of the first curable resin of each optical fiber'souter layer). In another exemplary embodiment, before feeding (orotherwise arranging) the plurality of optical fibers to provide alongitudinal optical-fiber assembly, a first curable resin of the outerlayer of each of the plurality of optical fibers is partly cured to acuring degree of between about 80 percent and 85 percent. In general,exemplary first curable resins can be tacky or even semi-liquid at adegree of curing less than about 80 percent. Above that curingthreshold, the outermost layer formed by the first curable resin issufficiently cured to promote spooling of the optical fibers on reels,which facilitates later ribbonizing operations, such as depicted in FIG.7.

In another exemplary embodiment, before feeding (or otherwise arranging)the plurality of optical fibers to provide a longitudinal optical-fiberassembly, a first curable resin of the outer layer of each of theplurality of optical fibers is substantially fully cured to a curingdegree of 95 percent or more (e.g., about 96, 97, 98, or 99 percentcured), to provide optical fibers having an outer layer of asubstantially fully cured first curable resin.

In an exemplary embodiment, the optical fibers are formed by providingoptical fibers each having, from its center to its periphery, a glasscore, a glass cladding, and a primary coating, and applying a firstcurable resin to form an outermost layer. The first curable resin mayform (i) a secondary coating (e.g., contiguously surrounding the primarycoating), an ink layer (e.g., contiguously surrounding a secondarycoating), or a sacrificial release layer (e.g., contiguously surroundingeither a secondary coating or, if present, an ink layer). Typically, thefirst curable resin is then partly cured (e.g., about 85 percent to 90percent cured or so) or substantially fully cured (e.g., about 95percent cured or so) to form the optical-fiber ribbon.

The percentage or degree of surface curing may be determined bymeasuring the peak area using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) of thepeak of the chemically active group of the resin (e.g., the peak at 1410cm⁻¹ of an acrylate group for a UV-curable acrylate resin). This peakarea is then compared to a reference peak that is nearby the acrylatepeak and not changing with cure. For a completely cured sample, theacrylate peak essentially disappears (e.g., a peak of a chemicallyactive group, such as 810 cm⁻¹ or 1410 cm⁻¹, is not present). The ratioof the relative peaks provides the degree of surface cure.

In an exemplary embodiment, the outer layer of the first curable resinof each optical fiber is partly cured (e.g., 85 to 90 percent cured) inan environment including oxygen. If oxygen is present during curing, theouter surface of the outer layer does not fully cure. Typically, theamount of oxygen surrounding the outer layer during curing is between500 ppm and 3,500 ppm, such as between 1,000 ppm and 2,000 ppm.

In another exemplary embodiment, the outer layer of the first curableresin of each optical fiber is at least 90 percent cured (e.g.,substantially fully cured to more than 95 percent) in a controllednitrogen-purging environment. For example, the curing station may bepurged with industrial-grade nitrogen (e.g., 99.9 mole percent pure) toachieve a high-nitrogen environment (99 mole percent nitrogen). Absentsuch nitrogen purging, the outer layer of the first curable resin mayachieve a lower surface cure, which can sometimes result in excessivebonding (e.g., strong chemical bonding, such as covalent bonding) withthe second curable resin. This can hinder separation of one or moreoptical fibers from the optical-fiber ribbon without damaging theoptical fiber's primary coating, secondary coating, or ink layer.

In an exemplary embodiment, the second curable resin, which forms thebeads, is applied with a viscosity of between 100 cP and 1000 cP,typically between 100 cP and 400 cP. This allows a sufficient viscousmass to fill the grooves between adjacent optical fibers and will yield,after curing, an optical-fiber ribbon having a flush ribbon bead,thereby reducing possible stresses in the optical-fiber ribbon whenrolled or folded. If the viscosity is too low, the material is too thinand runny, and the adhesive will excessively flow between the opticalfibers and not form a consistent bond. The viscosity is measured using aBrookfield digital rotational viscometer Model DV-II with RV1 spindle at10 rpm. The viscosity may be measured at several different temperatures,such as at 23° C. and/or at 30° C. and/or at 40° C. and/or at 50° C.and/or at 60° C., to determine the optimal temperature for theapplication of the second curable resin material.

In an exemplary embodiment, the second curable resin is heated andapplied at a temperature of up to 60° C. (e.g., between about 23° C. and60° C.). If higher temperatures are used during the preparation of theoptical-fiber ribbons, thermal stress might occur in the optical fibers,leading to attenuation (e.g., at a wavelength of 1310 nanometers, 1550nanometers, and/or 1625 nanometers).

In an exemplary embodiment, the dispenser (or other dispensing device)oscillates in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction ofthe optical-fiber assembly. The oscillating device can create a stepwisepattern on one side of the optical-fiber assembly. The tip of thedispenser may oscillate (e.g., vibrate) in a transverse direction at ahigh frequency, such as between about 100 Hz and 200 Hz. In an exemplaryembodiment, the dispenser oscillates in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal direction (i.e. in the width direction) of theoptical-fiber assembly, and the optical-fiber assembly is moved inlongitudinal direction, such as via reels. See FIG. 7.

In an exemplary embodiment, the dispenser may deliver the liquid resin(e.g., the second curable resin) in fine droplets to the movingoptical-fiber assembly. Because of surface tension, the liquid resinwill flow together to form elongated beads.

In an exemplary embodiment, the curing station emits UV radiation forcuring the beads of the second curable resin and for further curing thepartly cured first curable resin (or the substantially fully cured firstcurable resin) for the outer layer of the optical fibers.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first curable resin and/or the secondcurable resin are one or more curable ultraviolet (UV) resins. In anexemplary embodiment, the curable resins used are the same for the beadsand the outer layer. In an exemplary embodiment, the first curable resinis a UV-curable ink having a pigment or dye for coloring. In anexemplary embodiment, a difference between the first curable resin andthe second curable resin is the amount of slip or release agent. Forexample, the first curable resin might include more than 0.5 weightpercent release agent or slip agent (e.g., between about 0.5 and 1weight percent or so), whereas the second curable resin might includeless than 0.5 weight percent release agent or slip agent, or none atall.

In a second aspect, the invention embraces an optical-fiber ribbon100-600, such as depicted in FIGS. 1-6. Several exemplary embodiments ofthe optical-fiber ribbon are discussed (below) with reference to thefigures. In accordance with the present disclosure, the bonding strengthbetween the bead (e.g., formed by the second curable resin) and theoptical fibers can be controlled (e.g., via zig-zag like, saw-toothlike, or similar sinusoidal arrangements) to ensure optical-fiber-ribbonintegrity during damage-free handling and separation of individualfibers from the optical-fiber ribbon. In some exemplary embodiments ofthe optical-fiber ribbon, this is achieved by the inclusion of asacrificial release layer (e.g., an outermost optical-fiber layer formedby the first curable resin) that facilitates the separation of anoptical fiber from the optical-fiber ribbon without damaging the opticalfiber's structural components, namely the glass core, the glasscladding, the primary coating, the secondary coating, and the optionalink layer, if present. In some other exemplary embodiments of theoptical-fiber ribbon (e.g., excluding a sacrificial, outer releaselayer), this is achieved by controlling the modulus and curing of thebead, which is formed by the second curable resin as cured, andoptionally the outermost layer of the optical fiber (e.g., the secondarycoating or the optional ink layer formed by the first curable resin ascured).

FIG. 1 depicts in a perspective view a representative optical-fiberassembly 100. This optical-fiber assembly includes a plurality ofadjacent optical fibers 2 having a diameter D. The optical fibers arearranged substantially planar in parallel to form a longitudinaloptical-fiber assembly 3 having a width W and a length L. Thisoptical-fiber assembly 100 forms the basis for the optical-fiber ribbonaccording to the present invention.

In an exemplary embodiment, one or more bonds have a bonding length (l)and are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction by a distance (d). Forexample, the elongated bonds are substantially parallel to the opticalfibers in the optical-fiber ribbon. In this exemplary embodiment, thebonding length is larger than the distance (l>d). The effect is that themechanical properties in terms of robustness are increased, because alarger mechanical bond between the optical fibers is achieved.

In an exemplary embodiment, the bonding length is between about 2 and 20times the distance (2d≤l≤20d or l/d=2 to 20), wherein the values of 2and 20 are included. In another exemplary embodiment, the bonding lengthis between about 4 and 15 times the distance (4d≤l≤15d or l/d=4 to 15),wherein the values of 4 and 15 are included. The bead as applied has anelongated form and will flow into a groove between two adjacent opticalfibers. The elongated beads forming a bond may have a width between 75micrometers and 350 micrometers (e.g., between about 200 micrometers and275 micrometers, which is similar to the diameter of the opticalfibers).

In an exemplary embodiment, the bonding length (l) of a bead is between1.5 and 20 millimeters. The bonding length of the bead is effectivelydescribed by the ratio of bonding length to bonding distance (l/d) andby the ratio of pitch of the stepwise pattern to the width of theoptical-fiber assembly (P/W).

In an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of optical fibers hassubstantially the same diameter. In an exemplary embodiment, the opticalfiber has a diameter of between 240 micrometers and 260 micrometers,more typically about 250 micrometers. Alternatively, the optical fibersmay have a reduced diameter, such as between about 180 micrometers and230 micrometers. In an exemplary embodiment, the optical-fiber assemblyincludes between six and 36 optical fibers (including 6 and 36), such asbetween 12 and 24 optical fibers (including 12 and 24).

In an exemplary embodiment, the point of failure when removing anoptical fiber from the optical-fiber ribbon is in the bead (i.e., formedby the second curable resin as cured). In another exemplary embodiment,the point of failure when removing an optical fiber from theoptical-fiber ribbon is at the interface between the bead (i.e., formedby the second curable resin as cured) and the outer layer (i.e., formedby the first curable resin as cured). In yet another exemplaryembodiment, the point of failure when removing an optical fiber from theoptical-fiber ribbon is in the outer layer (i.e., formed by the firstcurable resin as cured). In yet another exemplary embodiment, the pointof failure when removing an optical fiber from the optical-fiber ribbonis at the interface between the outer layer (i.e., formed by the firstcurable resin as cured) and the secondary coating layer or an ink layer,whichever layer is contiguously surrounded by the outer layer (i.e.,formed by the first curable resin as cured).

In an exemplary embodiment, the optical fibers are optical fibershaving, in addition to the primary coating and secondary coating, an inklayer (e.g., an ink layer contiguously surrounding the secondarycoating) and an outer layer (e.g., the outermost optical-fiber layerformed by the first curable resin). In another exemplary embodiment, theouter layer itself may constitute the ink layer (e.g., the ink layer isformed by the first curable resin and is the outermost optical-fiberlayer). In yet another exemplary embodiment, the outer layer itself mayconstitute the secondary coating (e.g., the secondary coating is formedby the first curable resin and is the outermost optical-fiber layer). Inexemplary embodiments in which the outermost optical-fiber layer is anink layer or a secondary coating, it is desirable that the point offailure occur either within the bead (i.e., formed by the second curableresin as cured) or at the interface between the bead (i.e., formed bythe second curable resin as cured) and the outer layer (i.e., formed bythe first curable resin as cured). Those having ordinary skill in theart will understand the different kinds of primary coatings, secondarycoatings, and ink layers, as well as the structures and thicknessesthereof. This application hereby incorporates by reference commonlyowned U.S. Pat. No. 8,265,442 for a Microbend-Resistant Optical Fiberand U.S. Pat. No. 8,600,206 for a Reduced-Diameter Optical Fiber.

In an exemplary embodiment, the beads are arranged on only one side ofthe optical-fiber assembly. For example, the beads are arranged only onthe upper surface of the optical-fiber assembly (i.e., when the opticalfibers are arranged in a ribbon-like manner rather than rolled up). Theoptical-fiber assembly can be viewed as a ribbon-like assembly definingan upper surface, a lower surface, and two side edges. The upper andlower surfaces are not completely flat, because they are formed of asubstantially parallel arrangement of optical fibers. As such, the upperand lower surfaces have parallel longitudinal grooves between adjacentoptical fibers. The beads are positioned within the grooves formedbetween adjacent optical fibers. Those having ordinary skill in the artwill understand the optical fibers may not be perfectly parallel butrather substantially parallel in practice.

In an exemplary embodiment, two successive beads of the plurality ofbeads are connected by a transition part of the cured second curableresin. In an exemplary embodiment, the transition part is S-shaped (in aplan view). In an exemplary embodiment, each two successive beads of theplurality of beads are connected by a transition part of the curedsecond curable resin.

In an exemplary embodiment, a succession of alternating beads andtransition parts forms a thread, wherein at each longitudinal positionof the optical-fiber assembly there is at most one thread. In anexemplary embodiment, the thread has a mass (in grams) per 10,000 metersof between 60 and 120 dtex, such as between 75 and 110 dtex.

In an exemplary embodiment, each two successive beads of the pluralityof beads are free from each other in that no cured second curable resinconnects the two successive beads. In other words, there is no thread ofresin but merely individual beads.

In an exemplary embodiment, successive beads form a stepwise patternover the plurality of optical fibers, each step being one optical fiber.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first curable resin and/or the secondcurable resin are one or more curable ultraviolet (UV) resins. In anexemplary embodiment, the first cured resin and/or the second curedresin are acrylate resins. The first and second cured resins may be thesame or different. In an exemplary embodiment, the first curable resinis a UV-curable ink including a pigment or dye for coloring. As noted,in an exemplary embodiment, a difference between the first curable resinand the second curable resin is the amount of slip or release agent. Forexample, the first curable resin might include more than 0.5 weightpercent release agent or slip agent (e.g., between about 0.5 and 2weight percent, such as about 1 weight percent), whereas the secondcurable resin might include less than 0.5 weight percent release agentor slip agent, or none at all.

In an exemplary embodiment, the cured second curable resin has anelongation at break of at least 150 percent, typically between 200percent and 300 percent, such as between 200 percent and 250 percent. Inan exemplary embodiment, the cured second curable resin has a modulus ofelasticity (or Young's modulus) of between 1 MPa and 50 MPa (e.g.,between 5 MPa and 45 MPa), such as between 1 MPa and 10 MPa, between 10MPa and 20 MPa, between 15 MPa and 30 MPa, or between 20 MPa and 40 MPa.In another exemplary embodiment, the cured second curable resin has amodulus of elasticity (or Young's modulus) of between 1 MPa and 15 MPa,such as between 1 MPa and 10 MPa. In yet another exemplary embodiment,the cured second curable resin has a modulus of elasticity (or Young'smodulus) of between 15 MPa and 40 MPa, such as between 20 MPa and 35 MPa(e.g., about 20-25 MPa). In this regard, elongation at break (e.g.,strain at break) and modulus of elasticity was measured on adog-bone-shaped film sample using the following method: ASTM D638-14(“Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics”), which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

As noted, the outer layer (i.e., formed by the first curable resin ascured) may include release agent to facilitate release of an opticalfiber from the optical-fiber ribbon. Conventional ribbon matrixmaterials that are used to completely surround and encapsulate anoptical-fiber assembly include a certain amount of release agent tofacilitate breakout of individual fibers or splitting of a fiber ribbon.With respect to the present flexible optical-fiber ribbon according tothe present invention, a reduced amount of release agent is employed.Surprisingly, it has been observed that by reducing the amount ofrelease agent (e.g., the release agent in the second curable resin), thepoint of failure (e.g., the point of breakage) upon removing an opticalfiber shifts to the interface between the bead (i.e., formed by thesecond curable resin as cured) and the outer layer (i.e., formed by thefirst curable resin as cured) or to the outer layer itself.

In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the outer layer (i.e., thesacrificial release layer formed by the first curable resin as cured) isbetween 2 micrometers and 10 micrometers, such as between 3 micrometersand 5 micrometers or, more typically, between 5 micrometers and 10micrometers.

Ribbon robustness can be tested using a mechanical tester, such as atensile tester (e.g., Instron 5567). For example, in a T-peel test, asingle fiber (or a group of adjacent fibers) from an end of theoptical-fiber ribbon is clamped in a grip of the tensile tester (e.g.,Instron 5567), while the remaining fibers from the same end of theoptical-fiber ribbon are clamped in the opposite grip of the tensiletester. See FIG. 14 (showing the performance of the T-peel test on anoptical-fiber ribbon). When both grips move transversely away from eachother, the maximum force (N) until separation of the single fiber (orgroup of fibers) from the remaining fibers determines the bondingstrength. In such a T-peel test, which is typically performed at STP(e.g., room temperature and atmospheric pressure), the force to break asingle bond (i.e., the required separation force) is measured. In anexemplary embodiment of the optical-fiber ribbon, the force required toseparate the optical-fiber ribbon in a T-peel test is between 0.01 N and0.2 N, such as between 0.01 N and 0.1 N (e.g., between about 0.03 N and0.1 N, such as between 0.05 N and 0.07 N). For example, the forcerequired to separate 250-micron optical fibers from an optical-fiberribbon in a T-peel test is typically between about 0.02 N and 0.15 N,and the force required to separate 200-micron optical fibers from anoptical-fiber ribbon in a T-peel test is typically between about 0.015 Nand 0.1 N. The reduced force for separating 200-micron optical fibersreflects the reduced contact area between the optical fiber (e.g., theouter surface of the first cured resin) and the bead (e.g., the innersurface of the elongated rectilinear bead formed by the second curedresin), which can result from the reduced dimensions of the bead itself(e.g., the width of the elongated rectilinear bead formed by the secondcured resin).

Moreover, ribbon robustness and durability can be further evaluated viawatersoak testing (herein referred to as “watersoak testing”). Forexample, after immersion in 60° C. water for at least 30 days (andtypically 60 or 90 days or more), bonding strength as measured by theaforementioned T-peel test should be at least 70 percent of the originalbonding strength (e.g., 75 percent or more), more typically at least 80percent of the original bonding strength (e.g., 85 percent or more).(During the T-peel test the optical-fiber ribbon is no longer immersedin the water bath.) Moreover, optical attenuation of each optical fiberin the optical-fiber ribbon should not increase by more than 0.5 dB/km,typically 0.1 dB/km (e.g., less than about 0.05 dB/km), as measured at awavelength of 1550 nanometers during the period of water immersionand/or after the period of water immersion.

To implement watersoak testing of the present optical-fiber ribbon, 600meters of loosely coiled optical-fiber ribbon is completely immersed ina bath of 60° C. water for at least 30 days (e.g., 60 days, 90 days, or125 days). At the end of the water-immersion period, the optical-fiberribbon is removed from the water reservoir and the bonding strength ofthe optical-fiber ribbon is measured by the T-peel test. After therequisite period of water immersion, the optical-fiber ribbons accordingto the present invention maintained bonding strength of more than 70percent of the original bonding strength (as measured by the T-peeltest).

As noted, optical attenuation (e.g., added loss) of each optical fiberin the optical-fiber ribbon can be periodically measured by opticaltime-domain reflectometer (OTDR) both during and after the waterimmersion period. The optical-fiber ribbons according to the presentinvention demonstrated optical attenuation for each constituent opticalfiber of less than 0.1 dB/km (as measured at a wavelength of 1550nanometers) both during and after the period of water immersion.

As explained previously with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, aconnection (e.g., a chemical coupling) is created between the firstcurable resin, which is an outermost coating layer of the opticalfibers, and the second curable resin, which is typically applied to theoptical-fiber assembly in beads. Where the first curable resin is partlycured (i.e., less than fully cured), the concurrent curing of the firstcurable resin and the second curable resin provides increased bondingstrength between the second curable resin and the optical fibers' firstcurable resin. Conversely, where the first curable resin issubstantially fully cured, the subsequent curing of the second curableresin provides decreased bonding strength between the second curableresin and the optical fibers' first curable resin. The relative strengthof the coupling between the first curable resin and the second curableresin affects the robustness of the optical-fiber ribbon and the ease bywhich optical fibers can be separated from the optical-fiber ribbon(e.g., the properties of optical-fiber-ribbon robustness andoptical-fiber separability are typically inversely related).

By way of illustration, FIG. 12a and FIG. 12b are photographs of anundamaged optical fiber after separation from an optical-fiber ribbon.This optical fiber includes, from its center to its periphery, a glasscore, a glass cladding, a primary coating, a secondary coating, an inklayer, and a sacrificial, outer release layer formed of a cured firstcurable resin. Here, the points of failure when removing the opticalfiber from the optical-fiber ribbon appear to have occurred both withinthe outer layer (i.e., formed by the first curable resin as cured) andat the interface between the outer layer (i.e., formed by the firstcurable resin as cured) and the optical fiber's ink layer. This showsthe sacrificial outer layer (i.e., formed by the first curable resin ascured) is functioning as intended. Moreover, the sacrificial outer layershowed a high degree of strain-induced elasticity by the tear forceduring the T-peel test, which allowed the material to withstand a largedegree of elongation before break. This flexibility also facilitatesrobustness due to increased fracture toughness of the outer layer (i.e.,formed by the first curable resin as cured).

In contrast, FIG. 13a and FIG. 13b are photographs of damaged opticalfibers after separation from a comparative optical-fiber ribbon. Thiscomparative optical fiber also includes, from its center to itsperiphery, a glass core, a glass cladding, a primary coating, asecondary coating, an ink layer, and a comparative outermost layerformed of a cured first curable resin. Without being bound to any theory(and with reference to FIGS. 13a and 13b ), excessive bond strengthbetween the first curable resin and the second curable resin (and thecorrespondingly high peeling force required to separate the opticalfibers) has resulted in not only separation of the ink layer from asecondary coating but also separation of the primary coating from theglass cladding, thereby exposing bare glass. By controlling the bondingstrength between the bead (e.g., formed by the second curable resin) andthe outer layer (e.g., formed by the first curable resin), an acceptablebalance may be achieved between the robustness of the optical-fiberribbon, which is important during the cabling process, and the ease bywhich individual optical fibers can be separated from the optical-fiberribbon without damaging the optical fiber's structural portions, namelythe glass core, the glass cladding, the primary coating, the secondarycoating, and the optional ink layer, if present.

In an alternative optical-fiber-ribbon embodiment, each optical fibermay include, from its center to its periphery, a glass core, a glasscladding, a primary coating, and an outer layer formed of a cured firstcurable resin. In this optical-fiber embodiment, the cured first curableresin can be a secondary coating (e.g., a colored secondary coatingcontiguously surrounding the primary coating) or an ink layer (e.g., acolored ink layer contiguously surrounding a secondary coating).

By way of illustration, FIG. 15 is a photograph of undamaged opticalfibers after separation from an exemplary optical-fiber ribbon during aT-peel test (e.g., to evaluate optical-fiber breakout). These opticalfibers, which omit a sacrificial, outer release layer, each include,from its center to its periphery, a glass core, a glass cladding, aprimary coating, a secondary coating, and an ink layer formed of a curedfirst curable resin. As shown in FIG. 15, the point of failure whenremoving the optical fibers from the exemplary optical-fiber ribbonoccurred both (i) at the interface of the bead, which is formed from thecured second curable resin, and the ink layer, which is the outermostoptical-fiber layer formed from the cured first curable resin, and (ii)more generally within the bead itself.

During breakout of the optical fibers from an optical-fiber ribbon, thestructural components (e.g., the optical-fiber coatings) of the opticalfibers should remain undamaged. For example, during optical-fiberbreakout there should be no ink transfer to the bead, which is formed bythe bonding material (e.g., the cured second curable resin). Internalfailure of the bead during fiber breakout ensures no damage occurs tothe optical fibers. This kind of favorable separation of the T-peel test(e.g., within the bead) is considered to be a “cohesive break” (e.g.,deemed “cohesive” failure mode). Whereas “cohesive” failure modedescribes failure within the bead itself, “mixed” failure mode describesfailure both within the bead (e.g., formed by the cured second curableresin) and at the interface of the bead and the outermost optical-fiberlayer (e.g., formed from the cured first curable resin). In either“cohesive” or “mixed” failure mode, an exemplary bead is configured tofail internally at a load that is less than the load that wouldotherwise damage the optical-fiber coatings.

In contrast, FIG. 16 is a photograph of damaged optical fibers afterseparation from a comparative optical-fiber ribbon during a T-peel test(e.g., to evaluate optical-fiber breakout). These comparative opticalfibers, which likewise omit a sacrificial, outer release layer, eachinclude, from its center to its periphery, a glass core, a glasscladding, a primary coating, a secondary coating, and an ink layerformed of a cured first curable resin. As shown in FIG. 16, the point offailure occurred at least partly within or between the optical fiber'sprincipal structural parts, such as between the secondary coating andthe contiguously surrounding ink layer formed by the cured first curableresin (e.g., as indicated by ink transfer to the bead duringoptical-fiber breakout).

In accordance with one exemplary method, manufacturing costs are reducedby making an optical-fiber ribbon having optical fibers in which thefirst curable resin is either a secondary coating (e.g., a coloredsecondary coating contiguously surrounding the primary coating) or anink layer (e.g., a colored ink layer contiguously surrounding asecondary coating). That is, optical fibers that omit a sacrificial,outer release layer cost less to manufacture. Without being bound to anytheory, using a lower modulus matrix material and controlling the curingconditions (e.g., UV power and curing environment) with respect to theoptical fiber's outermost layer formed by a first curable resin achievean optical-fiber ribbon possessing satisfactory robustness, satisfactoryaging, and no undesirable ink transfer to the bead during optical-fiberbreakout.

Without being bound by theory, UV curing of the optical fiber's coatinglayers should provide a surface-bond penetration that exceeds the depthof the ink layer, the secondary coating, and the primary coating (or thesecondary coating and the primary coating in the absence of an optionalink layer) to create a strong combined shell around the glass claddingand core. This facilitates bonding of the optical fiber's outermostlayer (e.g., the ink layer or the secondary coating, respectively) tothe next outermost layer (e.g., the secondary coating or the primarycoating, respectively). In one exemplary optical-fiber embodiment, thebond between the secondary coating and the surrounding, contiguousoutermost ink layer should be stronger than the bond between theoutermost ink layer and the bead, which is formed by the cured, secondcurable resin. In another exemplary optical-fiber embodiment, the bondbetween the primary coating and the surrounding, contiguous secondarycoating should be stronger than the bond between the outermost secondarycoating and the bead, which is formed by the cured, second curableresin.

As noted, exemplary optical-fiber ribbons include surficial, elongatedrectilinear beads configured to form bonds (e.g., elongated bonds)between adjacent optical fibers. An elongated bond between adjacentoptical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly connects (e.g., chemicallycouples) each adjacent optical fiber's outermost layer (e.g., asecondary coating or an ink layer), which is formed of a cured firstcurable resin, and the corresponding bead, which is formed of a curedsecond curable resin. Exemplary optical-fiber ribbons withrepresentative bead arrangements are depicted in FIGS. 2-6. FIG. 17 is aphotograph showing a cross-section of a representative bead (e.g., asurficial, elongated rectilinear bead) for a portion of an optical-fiberribbon formed using 250-micron optical fibers, and FIG. 18 is aphotograph showing a cross-section of a representative bead (e.g., asurficial, elongated rectilinear bead) for a portion of an optical-fiberribbon formed using 200-micron optical fibers. The respectivecross-sectional areas of the beads can be approximated by 125-micronequilateral-triangle sides for the 250-micron optical fibers (e.g.,about 0.0068 mm²) and by 100-micron equilateral-triangle sides for the200-micron optical fibers (e.g., about 0.0043 mm²). With a +/−20 percentestimation of bead dimensions, the respective ranges for cross-sectionalareas of the beads can be approximated by 100-micron to 150-micronequilateral-triangle sides for the 250-micron optical fibers (e.g.,between about 0.0043 mm² and 0.0097 mm²) and by 80-micron to 120-micronequilateral-triangle sides for the 200-micron optical fibers (e.g.,between about 0.0028 mm² and 0.0062 mm²).

For exemplary optical-fiber ribbons according to the present invention,the strength of the bond between each optical fiber's outermost inklayer and the corresponding bead is determined by the T-peel test fornominal 250-micron optical fibers. The respective breakout of eachoptical fiber was performed using a tensile tester (e.g., Instron 5567).For these 250-micron optical fibers, the exemplary bond strength (e.g.,T-peel load) between an optical fiber's outermost ink layer and the bead(e.g., the corresponding bonding material) should be between about 0.02N and 0.15 N. For the twelve differently colored optical fibers in theexemplary optical-fiber ribbons, the mean strength of the bond betweenthe optical fiber's outermost ink layer and the bead was between about0.07 N and 0.08 N with a standard deviation of less than 0.05 N.Accordingly, the bond strength between the secondary coating and thesurrounding, contiguous outermost ink layer should exceed 0.15 N toprovide “cohesive break” (i.e., with no ink transfer from the opticalfiber to the bead). Similar assessment with respect to the bond strengthbetween the primary coating and the secondary coating applies tooptical-fiber embodiments in which a secondary coating (e.g., a coloredsecondary coating) is the outermost optical-fiber layer.

For nominal 200-micron optical fibers, the exemplary bond strengthbetween the optical fiber's outermost ink layer and the bead (e.g., thecorresponding bonding material) should be between about 0.015 N and 0.10N, and the bond strength between the secondary coating and thesurrounding, contiguous outermost ink layer should exceed 0.10 N toprovide “cohesive break” (i.e., with no ink transfer from the 200-micronoptical fiber to the bead). Similar assessment with respect to the bondstrength between the primary coating and the secondary coating appliesto optical-fiber embodiments in which a secondary coating (e.g., acolored secondary coating) is the outermost optical-fiber layer. Thelesser bond strength (e.g., maximum T-peel load) between a 200-micronoptical fiber's outermost ink layer and the bead corresponds to thereduced dimension (e.g., reduced surface contact) as compared with asimilar 250-micron optical fiber.

Testing has indicated the energy to achieve favorable “cohesive break”within the bead should be about 0.4 millijoule (mJ) or less duringbreakout of the optical fibers from the optical-fiber ribbon. FIG. 19provides exemplary load-elongation curves for a T-peel test in whichnominal 250-micron optical fibers are separated from an exemplaryoptical-fiber ribbon without incurring damage to the principalstructural parts of the optical fibers. The energy-to-break isdetermined by the area under a corresponding load-elongation curve.Here, a clean “cohesive break” within a bead ensured that no inktransfer to the bead occurred during optical-fiber breakout, such asshown in FIG. 15. FIG. 19 shows a sharp reduction of the load tonear-zero at cohesive failure within the bead and illustrates asuccessful optical-fiber breakout solution, such as characterized by thesudden, vertical load reduction.

In contrast, a poor optical-fiber breakout solution is sometimescharacterized by irregular break behavior, which corresponds to higherenergy-to-break (e.g., greater than 0.5 mJ for ribbonized 250-micronoptical fibers). FIG. 20 provides comparative load-elongation curves fora T-peel test in which nominal 250-micron optical fibers are separatedfrom a comparative optical-fiber ribbon, causing damage to the principalstructural parts of the optical fibers. Here, the point of failureoccurred at least partly within or between an optical fiber's principalstructural parts, such as between the secondary coating and thecontiguously surrounding ink layer formed by the cured first curableresin, such as shown in FIG. 16. The testing shown in FIG. 20 indicatesenergy to break the bonds between the ink layer and the bead (the“energy-to-break”) to range between about 0.65 mJ and 1.26 mJ.

FIG. 21 similarly provides comparative load-elongation curves for aT-peel test in which nominal 200-micron optical fibers are separatedfrom an optical-fiber ribbon in a way that damages the principalstructural parts of the optical fibers. This is illustrated in FIG. 21by the erratic, indistinct break behavior, which corresponds to higherenergy-to-break. As with optical-fiber ribbons formed with 250-micronoptical fibers, optical-fiber ribbons formed with 200-micron opticalfibers appear to achieve favorable “cohesive break” within a bead if theenergy-to-break is about 0.4 millijoule (mJ) or less duringoptical-fiber breakout (e.g., the energy to sever the bonds between thebead and the optical fiber's outermost layer).

Without being bound to any theory, FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 suggest thestrength of the bonds between each optical fiber's outermost ink layerand the bead is greater than the bond strength between the secondarycoating and the surrounding, contiguous outermost ink layer. As such,the locus of failure is not constrained to the bead, and so thebreak-out damage can propagate to the optical-fiber coatings andoptical-fiber coating interfaces. As illustrated in FIG. 20, propagationof the failure locus creates greater damage area, which corresponds toenergy-to-break (e.g., greater than 0.5 mJ for ribbonized 250-micronoptical fibers) as indicated by the greater area under theload-elongation curves.

As noted, a representative bonding material (e.g., a cured secondcurable resin) has an elongation at break of at least 150 percent (e.g.,between about 200 percent and 300 percent), and a modulus of elasticity(or Young's modulus) of between 1 MPa and 20 MPa (e.g., between about 1MPa and 10 MPa). As an optical-fiber-ribbon bonding material (e.g., abead), the cured second curable resin may be partly cured to a curingdegree of between 85 percent and 95 percent or substantially fully curedto a curing degree of 95 percent or more as determined using FourierTransform Infrared (FTIR) of the peak of the chemically active group ofthe resin (e.g., a peak of a chemically active group, such as 810 cm⁻¹or about 1405 cm⁻¹ to 1410 cm⁻¹, such as with respect to the acrylategroup for a UV-curable acrylate resin). FIG. 22 provides stress-straincurves for a dog-bone-shaped sample of a bonding material (e.g., asecond curable resin) substantially fully cured to a curing degree of 95percent or more. Here, the load-elongation behavior shows a sharp, cleanfracture with an energy per unit volume (e.g., intrinsic materialtoughness) of about 20 mJ/mm³ or less (e.g., between 5 mJ/mm³ and 20mJ/mm³), such as about 15 mJ/mm³ or less (e.g., about 10 mJ/mm³).Toughness is an intrinsic material property measured on a materialsample with a known geometry, such as dog-bone-shaped film sampleaccording to ASTM D638 Type I, II, III, IV, or V, each of which ishereby incorporated by reference. The intrinsic material toughnessreflects the energy to break (e.g., the area under a correspondingload-elongation curve) divided by the specimen volume (e.g., the volumeof the reduced-area section of the dog-bone shaped film). Thestress-strain curve depicted in FIG. 22 was generated from testing of adog-bone-shaped film sample according to ASTM D638 Type V, such as usingthe following method: ASTM D638-14 (“Standard Test Method for TensileProperties of Plastics”).

In exemplary embodiments, the bead of the cured second curable resinpositioned in situ on an optical-fiber ribbon reflects thesebonding-material properties. For example, a representative cured secondcurable resin forming the beads typically demonstrates stress at break(i.e., force per unit area, such as load per bead cross-section) of lessthan about 150 MPa (e.g., between 20 MPa and 150 MPa), such as less than120 MPa (e.g., 30 MPa to 110 MPa, such as 50 MPa to 90 MPa), as measuredon a dog-bone-shaped film sample using the following method: ASTMD638-14 (“Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics”). Asnoted, FIG. 17 is a photograph showing a cross-section of arepresentative bead (e.g., a surficial, elongated rectilinear bead) fora portion of an optical-fiber ribbon formed using 250-micron opticalfibers, and FIG. 18 is a photograph showing a cross-section of arepresentative bead (e.g., a surficial, elongated rectilinear bead) fora portion of an optical-fiber ribbon formed using 200-micron opticalfibers.

Table 1 (below) shows mechanical properties of an exemplary bondingmaterial (e.g., a substantially cured second curable resin, such asabout 98 percent cured) and a comparative bonding material (e.g., about98 percent cured). As noted, the bonding material is the bead materialthat forms bonds (e.g., elongated rectilinear beads) between adjacentoptical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly. An exemplary bondingmaterial facilitates “cohesive breakout,” whereas the comparativebonding material causes damage to the principal structural parts of theoptical fibers (e.g., damage to the ink layer and secondary coating).

TABLE 1 Strain at Young's Break Stress at Break Modulus Toughness (%)(MPa) (MPa) (mJ/mm³) Exemplary 199 110 23.3 12.4 Bonding Material(“cohesive break”) Comparative 302 180 143 31.9 Bonding Material

FIG. 23 depicts stress-strain curves for a test sample of the exemplarybonding material (e.g., a substantially cured second curable resin).FIG. 24 is a stress-strain curve for a test sample of the comparativebonding material (e.g., a comparative, substantially cured secondcurable resin). The stress-strain curves depicted in FIGS. 23-24 weregenerated from testing of dog-bone-shaped film samples according to ASTMD638 Type V.

In an exemplary embodiment, a first bead forming a first bond connects afirst pair of adjacent optical fibers while a successive bond formed bya successive bead connects a further pair of adjacent optical fibers.Here, at least one optical fiber of the further pair of adjacent opticalfibers differs from the optical fibers of the first pair of adjacentoptical fibers. In an exemplary embodiment, at each longitudinalposition of the optical-fiber assembly (e.g., along the resultingoptical-fiber ribbon), there is at most one bond.

In a first example of this embodiment, the beads will have a stepwisepattern. In an exemplary embodiment, at an end of the stepwise patternof beads, the bead that follows the last bead of the pattern starts asubsequent stepwise pattern in the same width direction. Typically, thesuccessive stepwise patterns are free from each other in that no curedsecond curable resin connects the two stepwise patterns. This successionof stepwise patterns may be repeated, typically over the length of theoptical fibers, to form a saw-tooth-like arrangement over the pluralityof fibers, (in a plan view). In an exemplary embodiment of thissaw-tooth like arrangement, the pitch (P) (i) is equal to the recurrenceof the stepwise pattern in the same width direction and (ii) is between10× and 100× the width (W) of the optical-fiber assembly, typicallybetween 15× and 80× the width (W) of the optical-fiber assembly.

FIGS. 4a and 4b depict an exemplary embodiment of an optical-fiberribbon 400 having a saw-tooth like arrangement in which none of thebeads 4 are connected and the plurality of beads is arranged as adiscontinuous line. The saw-tooth like arrangement has a constantrepetition that follows the trace of a saw tooth wave with a pitch (P)as illustrated in FIG. 4 b.

FIG. 5 discloses an exemplary embodiment of an optical-fiber ribbon 500having a saw-tooth like arrangement. The plurality of beads 4 isarranged as a partly continuous line of the second curable resin. Thecontinuous line starts with a first bead 4 being applied between thefirst and second optical fibers 2 at the distant edge. This continuousline continues over the top of the second optical fiber, with atransition part 9, to the groove between the second and third opticalfibers, and further on over the top of the third optical fiber, with atransition part 9, to the groove between the third and fourth opticalfibers, and so on and so on. The continuous line ends in the groovebetween the fifth and sixth (nearest) optical fibers. A new continuousline starts in the groove between the first and second optical fibers ata pitch P from the first continuous line (such as illustrated in FIG. 4b).

FIG. 6 discloses an exemplary embodiment of an optical-fiber ribbon 600having a saw-tooth like arrangement. The plurality of beads is arrangedas a continuous line of the second curable resin. The difference betweenthe optical-fiber ribbon 600 depicted in FIG. 6 and the optical-fiberribbon 500 depicted in FIG. 5 is a resin line 9′ between the bead 4between the fifth and sixth optical fibers 2 of the first saw-tooth likearrangement and the bead 4 between the first and the second opticalfibers 2 of the second saw-tooth like arrangement.

In another exemplary embodiment with a stepwise pattern, a firststepwise pattern is formed in a first width direction and, at the end ofthe stepwise pattern, a further stepwise pattern in the oppositedirection is formed. This succession of stepwise patterns may berepeated, typically over the length of the optical fibers, therebyforming a zig-zag like arrangement over the plurality of optical fibers(in a plan view). The plurality of beads is provided so the plurality ofrespectively adjacent optical fibers of the optical-fiber assembly, whenthe optical-fiber assembly is brought into a folded-out condition,extends in the same virtually flat plan. In an exemplary embodiment ofthis zig-zag like arrangement, the pitch (P) (i) is equal to therecurrence of the stepwise pattern in the same width direction and (ii)is between 14× and 140× the width (W) of the optical-fiber assembly,typically between 18× and 100× the width (W) of the optical-fiberassembly.

FIG. 2a discloses a first embodiment of an optical-fiber ribbon 100having a zig-zag like arrangement. In this exemplary arrangement, noneof the beads 4 are connected and the plurality of beads is arranged as adiscontinuous line. FIG. 2b discloses a second embodiment of anoptical-fiber ribbon 200 having a zig-zag like arrangement, thearrangement is shown by the black striped line connecting the middlepoints of the beads. The difference between the optical-fiber ribbon 200depicted in FIG. 2b and the optical-fiber ribbon 100 depicted in FIG. 2ais the shorter bonding length (l). In this arrangement, none of thebeads 4 are connected and the plurality of beads is arranged as adiscontinuous line.

FIG. 3 discloses a third embodiment of an optical-fiber ribbon 300having a zig-zag like arrangement. The plurality of beads 4 is arrangedas a continuous line of the second curable resin and having transitionparts (e.g., in a similar manner as depicted in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6). Thezig-zag like arrangement of the embodiments according to FIGS. 2 a, 2 b,and 3 has a constant repeated arrangement that follows the trace of atriangle wave with a pitch (P) as illustrated in FIG. 2 b.

In an exemplary embodiment, the width (W) of the optical-fiber assemblyis between about 2 millimeters and 10 millimeters (e.g., between 2millimeters and 4 millimeters). The width (W) of the optical-fiberassembly is typically described as the number (N) of optical fibers eachhaving a diameter (D), whereby W=D×N. In practice, the optical fibersare substantially contiguous to one another, although some small gapsmay exist between adjacent optical fibers.

In an exemplary embodiment, at a certain longitudinal position over thewidth (W) of the optical-fiber assembly, there is one bond. In anexemplary embodiment, at each longitudinal position over the width (W)of the optical-fiber assembly, there is one bond. In other words, at onecertain longitudinal position there is only one bond between two opticalfibers, and there is no bond present between another set of two adjacentoptical fibers. This structure reduces the number of bonds andfacilitates increased flexibility.

FIG. 10 is a plan-view photograph of an optical-fiber ribbon accordingto an exemplary embodiment, namely an optical-fiber ribbon having azig-zag like arrangement with a continuous line of a cured resin.

The optical-fiber ribbon according to the present invention may be usedto form optical-fiber-cable units and optical-fiber cables. An exampleof such an optical-fiber-cable unit is shown in FIG. 11. This exemplaryoptical-fiber-cable unit has 24 ribbons of 12 optical fibers each. Thisoptical-fiber-cable unit packs 288 optical fibers into a highoptical-fiber density. Accordingly, in another inventive aspect, thepresent invention embraces an optical-fiber-cable unit including one ormore optical-fiber ribbons (also according to the present invention)surrounded by a polymeric sheath. The present invention further embracesan optical-fiber cable including one or more of the optical-fiberribbons or optical-fiber-cable units according to the present invention.

As explained (above), the flexible optical-fiber ribbon according to thepresent invention facilitates mass-fusion splicing to make multipleoptical-fiber connections while allowing optical fibers to be separated(e.g., peeled or otherwise removed) from the optical-fiber ribbonwithout damaging one or more optical fibers. According to exemplaryembodiments herein disclosed, this can be achieved by coupling (e.g.,chemical coupling) the beads to the outer layer of the optical fibers,thereby directing the point of failure during optical-fiber peel-offaway from the optical fiber.

Other solutions providing similar results are also part of the presentinvention. For example, another solution is decreasing the amount ofrelease agent that is present in the outer layer (e.g., the firstcurable resin), even when the outer layer is fully cured prior to theapplication of the beads (e.g., the second curable resin). This seems toshift the point of failure (i) to the interface between the bead and theouter layer, (ii) to the outer layer itself, or (iii) to the interfacebetween the outer layer and the secondary coating layer (or an optionalink layer).

To supplement the present disclosure, this application incorporatesentirely by reference the following commonly assigned patents, patentapplication publications, and patent applications: U.S. Pat. No.7,623,747 for a Single Mode Optical Fiber; U.S. Pat. No. 7,889,960 for aBend-Insensitive Single-Mode Optical Fiber; U.S. Pat. No. 8,145,025 fora Single-Mode Optical Fiber Having Reduced Bending Losses; U.S. Pat. No.8,265,442 for a Microbend-Resistant Optical Fiber; U.S. Pat. No.8,600,206 for a Reduced-Diameter Optical Fiber; U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. US2018/0031792 (published Feb. 1, 2018), now U.S. Pat.No. 10,185,105; International Application No. PCT/EP2017/067454 (filedJul. 11, 2017, and published as International Publication No. WO2019/011417 A1); International Application No. PCT/EP2018/050898 (filedJan. 15, 2018, and published as International Publication No. WO2019/137627 A1); International Application No. PCT/EP2018/050899 (filedJan. 15, 2018, and published as International Publication No. WO2019/137628 A1).

Other variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood andeffected by those of ordinary skill in the art in practicing the presentinvention by studying the drawings, the disclosure, and the appendedclaims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude otherelements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does notexclude a plurality.

It is within the scope of this disclosure for one or more of the terms“substantially,” “about,” “approximately,” and/or the like, to qualifyeach adjective and adverb of the foregoing disclosure, to provide abroad disclosure. As an example, it is believed those of ordinary skillin the art will readily understand that, in different implementations ofthe features of this disclosure, reasonably different engineeringtolerances, precision, and/or accuracy may be applicable and suitablefor obtaining the desired result. Accordingly, it is believed those ofordinary skill will readily understand usage herein of the terms such as“substantially,” “about,” “approximately,” and the like.

The use of the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one ormore of the associated listed items. The figures are schematicrepresentations and so are not necessarily drawn to scale. Unlessotherwise noted, specific terms have been used in a generic anddescriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.

While various aspects, features, and embodiments have been disclosedherein, other aspects, features, and embodiments will be apparent tothose having ordinary skill in the art. The various disclosed aspects,features, and embodiments are for purposes of illustration and are notintended to be limiting. It is intended that the scope of the presentinvention includes at least the following claims and their equivalents:

1. An optical-fiber ribbon, comprising: (i) a plurality of respectivelyadjacent optical fibers extending in a longitudinal direction andarranged in parallel to form an optical-fiber assembly, wherein eachoptical fiber includes, from its center to its periphery, a glass core,a glass cladding, a primary coating, and an outermost secondary coatingcomprising a cured first curable resin; and (ii) a plurality ofsuccessive elongated rectilinear beads comprising a cured second curableresin arranged lengthwise along the optical-fiber assembly, wherein thebeads are configured to form elongated bonds between adjacent opticalfibers in the optical-fiber assembly; wherein, as measured by a T-peeltest, the force required to separate one optical fiber from theoptical-fiber ribbon is between 0.01 N and 0.2 N; and wherein, along atleast a portion of the optical-fiber ribbon that includes successiveelongated rectilinear beads, the beads are configured to fail internallyat a load that is less than the load that would otherwise damage theoptical fiber's primary coating and/or the optical fiber's outermostsecondary coating during optical-fiber breakout.
 2. The optical-fiberribbon according to claim 1, wherein, as measured by a T-peel test, theforce required to separate one 250-micron optical fiber from theoptical-fiber ribbon is between 0.02 N and 0.15 N.
 3. The optical-fiberribbon according to claim 1, wherein, as measured by a T-peel test, theforce required to separate one 200-micron optical fiber from theoptical-fiber ribbon is between 0.015 N and 0.1 N.
 4. The optical-fiberribbon according to claim 1, wherein, as measured by a T-peel test, theenergy to break the bonds between each adjacent optical fiber'soutermost secondary coating comprising the cured first curable resin andthe corresponding bead comprising the cured second curable resin is 0.4millijoule or less.
 5. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1,wherein, after 30 days of immersion in 60° C. water, the optical-fiberribbon maintains at least 70 percent of its original bonding strength asmeasured by a T-peel test.
 6. The optical-fiber ribbon according toclaim 1, wherein the cured second curable resin forming the beads haselongation at break of at least 150 percent as measured via ASTMD638-14.
 7. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein thecured second curable resin forming the beads has Young's modulus ofbetween 1 MPa and 50 MPa as measured via ASTM D638-14.
 8. Theoptical-fiber ribbon according to claim 1, wherein each elongated bondbetween adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly chemicallycouples each adjacent optical fiber's cured first curable resin and thecorresponding bead's cured second curable resin.
 9. The optical-fiberribbon according to claim 1, wherein: a first elongated rectilinear beadcomprising a cured second curable resin is configured to form a firstelongated bond connecting a first pair of adjacent optical fibers; and asecond elongated rectilinear bead comprising a cured second curableresin is configured to form a second elongated bond connecting a secondpair of adjacent optical fibers, wherein at least one optical fiber ofthe second pair of adjacent optical fibers differs from the opticalfibers of the first pair of adjacent optical fibers.
 10. Anoptical-fiber-cable unit comprising one or more optical-fiber ribbonsaccording to claim
 1. 11. An optical-fiber ribbon, comprising: (i) aplurality of respectively adjacent optical fibers extending in alongitudinal direction and arranged in parallel to form an optical-fiberassembly, wherein each optical fiber includes, from its center to itsperiphery, a glass core, a glass cladding, a primary coating, asecondary coating, and an outermost ink layer comprising a cured firstcurable resin; and (ii) a plurality of successive elongated rectilinearbeads comprising a cured second curable resin arranged lengthwise alongthe optical-fiber assembly, wherein the beads are configured to formelongated bonds between adjacent optical fibers in the optical-fiberassembly; wherein, as measured by a T-peel test, the force required toseparate one optical fiber from the optical-fiber ribbon is between 0.01N and 0.2 N; and wherein, along at least a portion of the optical-fiberribbon that includes successive elongated rectilinear beads, the beadsare configured to fail internally at a load that is less than the loadthat would otherwise damage the optical fiber's primary coating, theoptical fiber's secondary coating, and/or the optical fiber's outermostink layer during optical-fiber breakout.
 12. The optical-fiber ribbonaccording to claim 11, wherein, as measured by a T-peel test, the forcerequired to separate one 250-micron optical fiber from the optical-fiberribbon is between 0.02 N and 0.15 N.
 13. The optical-fiber ribbonaccording to claim 11, wherein, as measured by a T-peel test, the forcerequired to separate one 200-micron optical fiber from the optical-fiberribbon is between 0.015 N and 0.1 N.
 14. The optical-fiber ribbonaccording to claim 11, wherein, as measured by a T-peel test, the energyto break the bonds between each adjacent optical fiber's outermost inklayer comprising the cured first curable resin and the correspondingbead comprising the cured second curable resin is 0.4 millijoule orless.
 15. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 11, wherein, after30 days of immersion in 60° C. water, the optical-fiber ribbon maintainsat least 70 percent of its original bonding strength as measured by aT-peel test.
 16. The optical-fiber ribbon according to claim 11, whereinthe cured second curable resin forming the beads has elongation at breakof at least 150 percent as measured via ASTM D638-14.
 17. Theoptical-fiber ribbon according to claim 11, wherein the cured secondcurable resin forming the beads has Young's modulus of between 1 MPa and50 MPa as measured via ASTM D638-14.
 18. The optical-fiber ribbonaccording to claim 11, wherein each elongated bond between adjacentoptical fibers in the optical-fiber assembly chemically couples eachadjacent optical fiber's cured first curable resin and the correspondingbead's cured second curable resin.
 19. The optical-fiber ribbonaccording to claim 11, wherein: a first elongated rectilinear beadcomprising a cured second curable resin is configured to form a firstelongated bond connecting a first pair of adjacent optical fibers; and asecond elongated rectilinear bead comprising a cured second curableresin is configured to form a second elongated bond connecting a secondpair of adjacent optical fibers, wherein at least one optical fiber ofthe second pair of adjacent optical fibers differs from the opticalfibers of the first pair of adjacent optical fibers.
 20. Anoptical-fiber-cable unit comprising one or more optical-fiber ribbonsaccording to claim 11.